Molting Daphnia Magna

A water flea (Daphnia magna) undergoes molting. Like all crustaceans, this tiny creature must molt to grow.

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Water Flea

Credit: David Duneau

A water flea, part of the order Cladocera, is a small crustacean only a few millimeters long.

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C. elegans

Credit: Hinrich Schulenburg, University of Kiel, Germany

Caenorhabditis elegans, a nematode worm and one of the most-studied organisms in the lab. C. elegans moves through four larval stages, molting after each one.

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Wall Lizard

Credit: David Duneau

Like other lizards, the common wall lizard sheds its skin when it outgrows it.

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Panther Chameleon

Credit: David Duneau

As this panther chameleon grows, it will slough off its old skin to reveal new skin beneath.

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Mexican Red-Kneed Tarantula

Credit: David Duneau

Tarantulas (and other spiders) must molt as they outgrow their exoskeletons. Freshly molted spiders are very soft and vulnerable until their new exoskeletons harden.

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Mangrove Tree Crab

Credit: Nicholas Ledesma

Crustaceans like this mangrove tree crab also molt to grow.

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Common Garter Snake

Credit: David Duneau

It's no secret that snakes shed their skin. Here, a common garter snake mugs for the camera.

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Carolina Anole

Credit: David Duneau

Another lizard molter, the Carolina Anole.

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Amazon Milk Frogs

Credit: David Duneau

Amphibians, including these Amazon Milk Frogs, molt periodically. Many frog species eat the shed skin.

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Agile Frog

Credit: David Duneau

An agile frog perches on a leaf. Frogs can molt as often as every few days.

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Stephanie Pappas

Stephanie Pappas is a contributing writer for Live Science. She covers the world of human and animal behavior, as well as paleontology and other science topics. Stephanie has a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the University of South Carolina and a graduate certificate in science communication from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She has ducked under a glacier in Switzerland and poked hot lava with a stick in Hawaii. Stephanie hails from East Tennessee, the global center for salamander diversity. Follow Stephanie on Google+.